A former National Youth Organizer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and currently a spokesperson for the party's 2012 presidential candidate, Mustapha Hamid, has downplayed reports that he is being seriously considered to partner Nana Akufo-Addo for next year's general elections. The Globe newspaper reported on Tuesday August 2, that the 2012 Vice Presidential Candidate of the NPP is definitely going to come from northern Ghana despite well orchestrated moves to shift attention to the Brong Ahafo Region, in particular. The paper reported that three people – deputy Minority Leader Ambrose Dery, 2008 vice Presidential candidate of the NPP, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia and Mustapha Hamid have been shortlisted by Nana Akufo-Addo as potential running mates. However, speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show on Tuesday August 2, Mustapha Hamid completely dismissed the report saying he had no knowledge that his name has been shortlisted for a possible running mate role. According to him, it would be premature for anyone to conceive the idea that his name has been put up to partner Nana Akufo-Addo since the party has decided that a running mate would be chosen a few months prior to the general elections. “I haven’t heard that my name has come up for a potential running mate to Akufo-Addo. It is not possible to even hear that because that is not on the agenda of the party until next year so I don’t know on what basis that someone will be considering somebody for running mate” he told Bernard Avle, host of the Citi Breakfast Show. Mustapha Hamid, also a lecturer at the Cape Coast University however noted that inasmuch as he is not expecting to be named running mate for Nana Akufo-Addo, he would however welcome the opportunity “if Allah bestows” such an honour on him. “I am a Muslim and Allah bestows sovereignty on whom he pleases and takes sovereignty from whom he pleases. I have plans for the next five years and running mate is not part of that agenda but as a Muslim we all are subject to the will of the almighty Allah so if Allah decides that after all it is not the Ph.D and publication in journals that I should be doing for the next five years well, that is unto the almighty Allah but as I am saying my plans are not to become [a] running mate to Nana Akufo-Addo". Source: Citifmonline